YOU ARE GOING TO THE NEXT LEVEL

by Patricia King

Study includes:

A. Prophetic Encouragement

B. Devotional Teaching
C. Weekly Scripture Meditation
D. Resource Corner

A. Prophetic Encouragement

I have had a recurring prophetic sense for the last number of months of the Body going to significant new levels of Kingdom revelation, operations, and expansion. I see many standing on the threshold of exciting new adventures of faith. I see winds of change blowing and drawing believers in an upward draft to new levels of encounters in God. I see shifts and changes everywhere. Some will abruptly change their professions and directions in life. Directional “suddenlies” will occur in many lives.

This is a time where many will experience an emptiness of vision and enthusiasm for where they have walked during the past number of years. Many will discover what used to bring fruitful results is now unproductive. What used to bring joy is now dull. For some, it will look like everything that was secure is collapsing. In some ways, it will seem like the shift is taking place overnight and without previous warning. The reason for this is because the Lord is bringing His people to new levels quickly.

It is important to walk close to God at this time. We cannot lean to our own understanding, but in all our ways we need to acknowledge Him. We need to be willing to make any sacrifice and to follow Him wherever and however He leads. He is raising up a people who do not have the hooks of the world or its treasures in their hearts, but He alone is their treasure.

What I see is a major historical shift for the church. We are now at the threshold. Some have already crossed over while others are standing and waiting for clear direction. Others will follow later. It is a new day. The winds of change are blowing. The Spirit has truly invited all believers to the next level.

The next level will include a greater focus on Kingdom perspective and greater death to self. The invisible realm will become more visible. Kingdom ambassadorial authority in the earth through the church will increase in operation. In addition to accelerated power displays of the works of God, the release of Kingdom authority in and through the church will also increase. Angelic encounters and revelatory experiences will increase. Wisdom and counsel will increase. Increase, increase, increase. The Lord says, “It is a time of increase, great increase.”

It is time to prepare our hearts for this new level. We must have yielded hearts … very yielded … to HIM!

B. Devotional Teaching

When new levels await us, the following are postures that will help us break through:

1.    Follow God into the unknown. The interesting dynamic that accompanies “new levels” is the fact that we have never been this way before. It is all new. As a result, we need greater dependency upon God to lead us. We must be willing to leave the comfort of our last season to follow the Lord into uncharted territories. “Let go and let God.” I think of Abraham. He was very comfortable with a flourishing business, established relationships, and settled with the familiar when the Lord called him.

“Now the Lord said to Abram, ‘Go forth from your country, and from your relatives and from your father’s house, to the land which I will show you’ ” (Genesis 12:1).

Abraham did not know what awaited him and he did not even know God well yet. He was willing to follow, though, and as he did, God blessed him.

I love the book of Joshua. Joshua was to lead the people of God into a land of promise. He was instructed to follow behind the ark of the covenant (God’s presence) as “you have not passed this way before” (Joshua 3:4). It was a new level for them.

2.    Sacrifice. Oftentimes, before we go to the next level we are called to sacrifice the greatest blessing in our previous season. I think of Abraham and how, in Genesis 22, God called him to sacrifice Isaac, the fulfillment of his promise. God already knew that He would supply a substitute, but Abraham’s heart was being tested. Was he willing to trust the goodness of God? After Abraham prepared the sacrifice, God provided a substitute; then Abraham was brought into greater expansion and establishment of promise.

 “By Myself I have sworn, declares the LORD, because you have done this thing and have not withheld your son, your only son, indeed I will greatly bless you, and I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your seed shall possess the gate of their enemies. In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice” (Genesis 22:16–18).

I also think of Christ’s disciples. They were invited to experience intimate realms of Kingdom life and become fishers of men if they followed Christ, but they had to sacrifice everything to walk in that level. They had to leave their nets (occupation) in order to follow Him (see Matthew 4:18,19).

“And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or farms for My name’s sake, will receive many times as much, and will inherit eternal life” (Matthew 19:29).

3.    Flexibility. Our ministry highly values “flexibility.” This is especially important when we move to a new level in the Lord or step into a new ministry assignment. During this forward movement, almost everything changes. Often, even solidly established leadership and administrative infrastructures and positions that served the previous season need to adapt to the new.

In past revivals, where the Spirit of God has invaded a church, community, or nation, changes were initiated in order to serve what the Spirit was doing. As the revivals moved forward, at times the very structures that once served to facilitate revival were the ones that actually restricted and stifled them in the years to come. It is thought by many revival historians that this inflexibility was one of the contributors to the termination of the revival.

We must always be ready to change and see things through a different perspective. We must even be flexible in our theological interpretations as we go into new levels. Jesus taught us about old and new wineskins. A new wineskin is flexible but the old is rigid (see Mark 2:22).

I think of Israel in the wilderness. A cloud led them by day and fire by night. When the cloud settled, they could, too. They had no idea when the cloud would move again, but when it did, they needed to be flexible. The whole camp had to pack up and move forward. If we want to follow the cloud today, we must be flexible and ready to dismantle, pack up, change direction, adjust our ways of thinking and receive what I sometimes jokingly refer to as, “The Gumby Anointing.” 

I think of Israel in the wilderness. A cloud led them by day and fire by night. When the cloud settled, they could, too. They had no idea when the cloud would move again, but when it did, they needed to be flexible. The whole camp had to pack up and move forward. If we want to follow the cloud today, we must be flexible and ready to dismantle, pack up, change direction, adjust our ways of thinking and receive what I sometimes jokingly refer to as, “The Gumby Anointing.”

4.    Pruning. Jesus said in John 15:2 that every branch in Him that bears fruit, He prunes so that it can bear more fruit. I don’t know very much about pruning, as that is a household chore that my husband performs. I remember the first time he pruned a hedge in our yard. I was devastated! It looked like there was nothing left to it and I was not convinced at the time that it would bounce back. I thought he had gone too far but to my surprise, in a couple of months, the hedge flourished and grew back with such thick, rich foliage that it hadn’t boasted of previously. If a tree is not pruned, it will grow spindly and untamed. Eventually, it will produce little-to-no fruit. Hmmm… ugly and fruitless.

Recently, there was a surprise element that hit our ministry. The Lord used this time to get my attention and instructed me to labor with Him to prune the ministry in order for us to bear more fruit. In our case, it included the restructuring of departments and the streamlining of a few of our staff positions. It was very difficult and emotional at first.

All our staff people are efficient, faith-filled, self-sacrificing, and totally amazing. It was hard for me to understand at first, until I realized that in order for someone to go to their next level, they might need to leave the previous one; this could even involve changes in geographical locations, job function, and provisional source.

The pruning process sets our focus and our dependency back on the Lord. As we walk in this process, we are postured to bear more fruit – always!

5.    Conquering enemies. You have probably heard it said, “new levels – new devils.” I believe that in many ways this is true. The journey of Israel into the Promised Land testifies of this. Before they could possess and occupy a new city, they had to war against their enemies. As they obeyed the Lord, they conquered and could step into their new territory.

Oftentimes, we think of our enemies as being demonic entities. They are enemies, for sure, and we need to discover the weapons of warfare that work for the new level of the demonic assaults we face. When we go to the next level, we need great discernment and wisdom. The weapons that worked on the last level might not pertain to the new.

In addition to the demonic, I find that there are other enemies to be conquered. The greatest is that of our carnal nature. As we go into new levels, the ugly flesh can rear its head. When we notice this, we need to embrace the cross and call our old nature crucified in Christ. We must learn, in Christ, to slay the “beast within.” During times of transition into new levels, it is an opportunity to be transformed into His likeness.

6.    Remain Childlike. Jesus said in Matthew 18:3,4 that in order to enter the Kingdom we must come as a child. Children are trusting and do not overly complicate things. I like David’s perspective in Psalm 131:1,2: “O Lord, my heart is not proud, nor my eyes haughty; nor do I involve myself in great matters, or in things too difficult for me. Surely I have composed and quieted my soul; like a weaned child rests against his mother, my soul is like a weaned child within me.”

Oftentimes when we face transition, we kick into a “control freak” mode because the changes we experience tend to breed insecurity. You seldom see a child respond in controlled measures. Usually, they try to find comfort and refuge in the arms of their parents. They are dependent and usually follow in trust.

Entrance into the new level will come as we posture ourselves as a child.

7.    Keep the Faith. Faith and not self-effort is the currency granted us for Kingdom transactions. There is nothing impossible for the Lord when we believe. Every new level will grant us an opportunity to stretch our faith. Most of the time, when we are entering new levels we need our faith renewed to believe the Lord to:
a.    Lead us victoriously into uncharted territory.
b.    Provide for us.
c.    Grant us power to overcome obstacles, hindrances, and enemies.
d.    Receive increased knowledge, counsel, wisdom and revelation.

I always find that both faith and love are tested in transitions. Faith works through love and we are usually tested in our love walk. Before David functioned as a king, he had to pass numerous love and honor tests with Saul. He believed that the Lord would bring him into destiny if he followed the Lord and passed the tests. His faith grew as well as his love, and this is what gave him the most amazing authority as a king when he entered the new level.

Our trials and tests along the way are what prepare us for the next level. Often we despise them when they come, as they are uncomfortable, but when we pass them we are promoted. Let’s embrace the tests with faith.

Prayer is a great vehicle to release your faith. Jesus taught, “All things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they shall be granted you.” As we go into new levels, prayer is a posture where your faith will birth the substance of what the Lord is offering you.

I think of Elijah in 1 Kings 18:41–45 where he saw in his prophetic vision a great rain coming. He postured himself in prayer until that which he saw prophetically was birthed. Because he believed, he decreed and prayed the rain into manifestation.

The winds of change are blowing and the next levels of revelation and encounter in the unseen Kingdom await us. It is an exciting season!

C. Weekly Scripture Meditation

The books of Deuteronomy and Joshua are very strategic books of the Bible and have keys for going to the next level. This month, our goal is to read through both books.

Week ONE: Deuteronomy 1–17
Week TWO: Deuteronomy 18–34
Week THREE: Joshua 1–12
Week FOUR: Joshua 13–24 

D. Resource Corner

Book - Dream Big by Patricia King

Book - Advancing the Kingdom by Bill Johnson

CD Teaching - Living GOOD in the Midst of BAD by Patricia King

CD Teaching - Greater – by Patricia King

CD Teaching - How Awesome is This Place by Patricia King

CD Teaching - Increasing Your Prayer Power by Patricia King 

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